Railway coupler



Dec. 4, 1956 H. H. WOLFE 2,772,791

RAILWAY COUPLER I 2 Shets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16, 1952 INVENTOR //flA/?X ,WOLFE,

ATTORNEY Dec. 4, 1956 H. H. WOLFE 2,772,791

RAILWAY COUPLER Filed May 16, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BY H QIQAM ATTORNEY United States Patent RAILWAY COUPLER Harry H. Wolfe, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, Ohio Application May 16, 1952, Serial No. 288,094

3 Claims. (Cl. 213-450) The present invention relates to railway couplers of the interlocking type and more specifically pertains to improvements in the type H coupler and to the structure of the aligning wing pocket and particularly the lower portion of the wing at the knuckle side of the coupler.

It is known in the coupler art to provide a shelf on the lower portion of the coupler head carrying a lug having a ramp inclined upwardly in proceeding rearwardly of the coupler for cooperation with a shelf carried by a mating coupler. Such features are shown in my Patent 2,496,425, dated February 7, 1950. In the coupler of the patent the lower portion of the aligning wing pocket at the knuckle side of the coupler is omitted for the purpose of providing clearance for air lines and the angle cocks of existing railway cars. A coupler provided with such an ab- :breviated wing pocket in combination with the shelf and bottom lug provides an improved coupler which functions well for most of the conditions that arise in railway service. It has been found that when a coupler of the H'type is positioned in a horizontal plane below a coupler of the type disclosed in my patent the alignment of the two couplers or the lifting of the type H coupler is accom plished entirely by an upper portion of the wedge-shaped lug on the guard arm side engaging the upper wall of the wing pocket on the type H coupler. This tends to twist both couplers about their stems within the confines of their restricted torsional movements so as to impair and make coupling more difficult.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a coupler of an interlocking type wherein the structure at the lower portion of the wing pocket at the knuckle side of the coupler is so shaped as to avoid interference with the air lines and angle cocks of existing railway vehicles and a structure which will promote horizontal alignment of two couplers without relying upon one aligning wing arm, namely the lug at the guard arm side of the coupler.

It has recently been the practice to equip diesel locomotives which are used primarily for passenger service with the type H interlocking couplers. These couplers each have an aligning wing lug at the guard arm side of the coupler and a full size aligning wing pocket at the knuckle side and full size lugs at the top and bottom of the aligning wing pocket at the knuckle side of the coupler. Such locomotives are often used for freight service and under such circumstances the bottom portion ofthe aligning wing pocket interferes with the existing air lines and angle cocks of the cars. The present invention pertains to the .provision of a relatively small lug on the coupler so located at the lower portion of the aligning wing pocket on the knuckle side of the coupler as to avoid interference with the hose lines and air cocks of existing cars and to promote coupling with existing couplers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottom shelf and bottom lug on a type H coupler in combination with a relatively small lu'g at the lower portion of the aligning wing pocket of. such shape and so located as to avoid interference with existing "train lines so that the A 2,772,791 Patented Dec. 4, 1956 bottom lug will cooperate with other couplers having a bottom shelf to promote horizontal alignment of two couplers and the relatively small lug at the lower portion of the aligning wing pocket" will cooperate with the aligning wing lug at the guard arrn side of another interlocking coupler so as to lift a lower coupler during a coupling operation when the two couplers are not in horizontal alignment to thereby provide a coupler for cooperation with existing couplers and vehicles equipped with air lines.

Other objects and featuresof the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the railway coupler art as the present disclosureproceeds and upon consideration of the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing the knuckle side of a couple-r embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is aside elevational'view illustrating the guard arm side of the coupler.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view.

Fig. 4 is a plan View partly in horizontal section.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view showing a coupler head embodying the invention-without the knuckle in the act of coupling with a conventional interlocking coupler which is in a lowered position.

Fig. 6 is a'fragmenta-ry plan view of the coupler head with the knuckle omitted partly in horizontal sectionon the line 6 6 of Fig. 1 with the coupler head shown in a maximum swiveled and buffed position with reference;

to an angle cock of an opposed car.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7--7 of Fig.

6,illustrating the clearance between the angle cock and the'nose of the lug-of a coupler embodying the invention. Fig. 8 is a side elevational view of the shelf and bottom lug structure whichisdesirably welded to the coupler head. Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the casting shown in Fig. 8. Referring to the drawings there is shown at 10 a coupler head supported bythe shank 11- formed integral with the head. The coupler head carries a knuckle 12 which is mounted for-pivotingmovements on the head in the usual manner by means of bearings and .a knuckle pin 14. The

contour of the head is -represented at 18. The guard arm 16 is provided with an aligning wing projection 19 extending forwardly therefrom terminating in a wedge-shaped nose. Therear portion of the wing projection 19 terminates in substantially-vertical surfaces 21 and 22. The guard arm 16 :and the wedge-shaped nose portion 19 are formed similar to the gathering wingof the coupler disclosed in the patent to Bazeley 2,178,062.

The aligning wing at the opposite orknuckle side of the coupler differs from the aligning wing pocket of my Patent 2,496,425 and differs from the aligning wing pocket of the Bazeley Patent 2,178,062. The upper portion of the wing pocket is formed as a wedge-shaped socket 23' adapted to receive the wedge-shaped nose of another coupler having an aligning wing lug similar to that shown at 19. The outboard'side wall 25 of the pocket 23 terminates in a substantially vertical edge as indicated at 24' which slopes upwardly in proceeding .rearwardly of the.

a pocket 23. The outboard wall 25 of the aligning wing Accordingly a relatively largeopen.

The inner wall pocket extends downwardly so that the forward edge 24 continues in a substantially vertical direction for a distance amounting to about four inches below the horizontal center line of the coupler. The wall -25 in this area merges with the bottom wall 31 as illustrated at 33 in Fig. 4. a I

A relatively small lug 36 is carried by the coupler head on the knuckle side thereof adjacent the lower extremity of the Wedge-shaped pocket 23. This lug has a straight forward edge 37 which is arranged substantially in a vertical plane and approximately at right angles to a top surface 38 of the lug. The lower forward corner of the lug is cut away to form a rearwardly inclined surface 39 as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The vertical height of the lug from the top edge 38 to the lower extremity of the surface 39 is about four inches. An inclined surface 42 is provided at the upper inner corner of the lug 36 which is preferably arranged in a plane of about fortyfive degrees with respect to a horizontal plane. The forward inner edge is also inclined as shown at 43 in Fig. 3. The inclined surfaces 42. and 43 are provided for the purpose of cooperating with the lower surface 44 of the wedge projection 19 of a mating interlocking coupler. The lug 36 has a lateral thickness at its top of about one and one-quarter inches, whereas the thickness at the lower portion is approximately seven-eighths of an inch. As shown in Fig. 3, the lug 36 at its greatest horizontal transverse dimension is of less width than the horizontal transverse dimension of the conventional lug 35 at the top of the pocket 23. The lug 36 is located in a vertical plane which is substantially in alignment with the center of the wing pocket 23 as will be apparent from a consideration of Figs. 3 and 4. The lug 36 and its disposition is such as to avoid engagement or interference with the air line 46 and the cock 47 therefor as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 even in an extreme horizontal angled position of the coupler head in a buffed position.

A depending extension 45 is provided at the bottom of the coupler head and rigidly united therewith to form a horizontal shelf 48. The shelf is positioned to one side and closely adjacent the center of the head 10. The shelf 48 is spaced from the lower end of the knuckle 12 as shown in Fig. 3 to provide a cavity 49 for receiving the bottom portion of a fallen knuckle or for supporting the knuckle of an opposed coupler when it is broken from its draft gear. The knuckle of the opposed coupler then lieson the upper horizontal surface 51 of the shelf 48 and is prevented from falling onto the right of way.

One edge portion 52 of the shelf is arcuate and concave shaped as shown in Figs. 4 and 9 for the reception of the lower bearing and knuckle pin of a mating coupler in the event that such a coupler should be arranged on a lower plane when the couplers are moved towards a coupling position. The front edge portion 53 of the shelf lies in a vertical plane and is substantially straight and approximately at right angles to the longitudinal central axis of the coupler. This edge surface 53 is adapted to lie close to a similar surface on another coupler of the type herein disclosed when the two are brought into a coupled position. The edge surface 53 however remains spaced from a corresponding vertical edge of a mated coupler to provide clearance between the vertical faces during bufling operations so that none of the buffing strains are applied to the shelf structures.

A forwardly projecting lug 56 is carried by the shelf structure and positioned at one side of a longitudinally vertical central plane of the coupler head. The lug 56 is provided with an upwardly and rearwardly inclined ramp surface 57. This inclined surface 57 is provided for the purpose of cooperating with the lower edge portion 58 of a similar coupler equipped with a bottom shelf structure. Thus as two couplers of the type herein described are moved towards a coupled position the inclined ramp surface 57 of one coupler engages the lower edge 58 on the opposed coupler so that the two lugs 56 cooperate to bring the couplers into substantially the same horizontal plane particularly when one coupler is in a lower position than the other. The lugs 56 insure that the front face 53 of the shelf of one coupler will be positioned to abut a similar front surface on the other coupler. The major portion of vertical shifting of the couplers to bring them into horizontal alignment is accomplished by the inclined ramp surfaces 57. Accordingly the lug 36 is relieved of strains when both of the couplers moving towards a coupled position are equipped with bottom lugs 56 and bottom shelves.

When a coupler of the type herein disclosed is moved towards a type H coupler the aligning wing lug on the guard arm side of the conventional coupler moves into the aligning wing pocket 23 and the wedge-shaped nose 19 of the present coupler moves into the aligning wing pocket of the H type coupler. When the couplers are in horizontal alignment and are in the unswiveled position no problem is presented in connection with the coupling operation.

When a coupler formed in accordance with the present invention is mounted on a diesel locomotive and it is desired to connect the locomotive to a car and the coupler thereof is below the horizontal position of the locomotive coupler and in a position somewhat as illustrated in Fig. 5 the inclined wedge surface 44 of the aligning wing lug engages the upper corner of the lug 36 as shown in Fig. 5. Thus when the coupler shown in phanton lines is as much as two inches below the level of the present coupler the lifting of the coupler shown at the right is in part accomplished by the inclined surface 44 riding on the surface 42 of-the lug 36. Such action avoids the tendency to twist the two couplers within the confines of their restricted torsional movements which would interfere with the coupling operation. Th lug 36 is of such small dimensions and so located as to avoid interference with the air lines but functions to lift the guard arm side of the opposed interlocking coupler when it is in a lower position such as shown in Fig. 5 and moves towards a coupled position.

The shelf structure represented generally at 45 is desirably formed as a separate element as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The shelf structure includes rearwardly extending arms '71 and 72 which are spaced from each other transversely of the coupler head. The formation of th shelf structure and the bottom lug as a separate casting permits the contour of the coupler to be machined after which the casting is rigidly united to the coupler head 10 by welding along areas as shown in Figs. 1 to 3.

While the invention has been described with reference to particular structural features and with respect to one type of coupler it will be appreciated that changes may be made in the details as well as the general organization and in the coupler to which the present improvements are applied. Such modifications and others may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an interlocking type railway coupler, a coupler head having a guard arm thereon, a knuckle mounted for pivoting movements on the coupler head, an aligning wing projection extending forwardly of the guard arm terminating in a wedge-shaped nose portion, means at the other side of the knuckle providing an aligning wing pocket on the coupler head including a bottom wall and an outboard wall, a lug carried by the coupler head at the top of said pocket, a second lug carried by the coupler head at the bottom of the pocket, said second lug having a transvers thickness less than that of the first lug and positioned substantially in vertical alignment with the longitudinal center of said pocket, a substantially vertical forward edge on said second lug, said outboard wall ter-v minating in a substantially vertical forward edge immediately above the second lug and positioned rearwardly of the forward edge of said second lug, said bottom wall being cut-away outwardly of the second lug, a shelf carried by the coupler head below the knuckle, and; a third lug projecting forwardly from the shelf between a vertical plane defined by the longitudinal center of the coupler head and a vertical plane extending through the second lug.

2. In an interlocking type railway coupler, a coupler head having a guard arm thereon, a knuckle mounted for pivoting movements on the coupler head, an aligning wing projection extending forwardly of the guard arm terminating in a wedge-shaped nose portion, means at the other side of the knuckle providing an aligning wing pocket on the coupler head including a bottom wall, a lug carried by the coupler head at the top of said pocket, a second lug carried by the coupler head adjacent the lower forward extremity of the bottom wall, said second lug having a transverse thickness not exceeding one and one quarter inches and less than the width of the first lug and being positioned substantially in vertical align ment with the longitudinal center of said pocket, said wing pocket including the bottom wall being omittedoutwardly of and above the second lug to provide an unobstructed space at the outboard sid of the second lug for an air line, a shelf carried by the coupler head below the knuckle, and a third lug projecting forwardly from a lower portion of the shelf between a longitudinal vertical central plane of the coupler head and a vertical plane extending through the second lug.

3. In an interlocking type railway coupler, a coupler head having a guard arm thereon, a knuckle mounted for pivoting movements on the coupler head, an aligning wing projection extending forwardly of the guard arm terminating in a wedge-shaped nose portion, means at the other side of the knuckle providing an aligning wing pocket on the coupler head including a bottom wall and an outboard wall, a lug carried by the coupler head at the top of said pocket, at second lugcarried by the coupler head adjacent the bottom of said pocket, said second lug having a transverse thickness less than that of the first lug and positioned with its inboard edge substantially in vertical alignment with an inboard edge of the first lug, a substantially horizontal top edge on said second lug, said outboard wall terminating in a substantially vertical forward edge positioned rearwardly of a forward end of the second lug, said bottom wall being omitted outwardly and rearwardly of thesecond lug to provide a recess at the lower portion of. the pocket and at the outboard side of the second lug for accommodating an air line, a shelf carried by the coupler head below the knuckle, a third lug projecting forwardly, from a lower portion of the shelf terminating in a ramp surfac inclined upwardly in proceeding rearwardly from the forward end of the third lug, and said third lug being disposed between a vertical plane defined by the longitudinal center of the coupler head and a vertical plane extending along the inboard edge of the second lug.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,178,062 Bazeley Oct. 31, 1939 2,496,425 Wolfe Feb. 7, 1950 2,548,479 Kahler Apr. 10, 1951 

